Q&A with Yankees 16th Round Pick Stefan Lopez

Benny Patterson

06/09/2012

The Yankees selected right-handed pitcher Stefan Lopez out of Southeastern Louisiana University. He sat down with us for a Q&A session to talk about being drafted by the Yankees, who he would compare his game to at the big league level, what his strengths are on the mound, if he's looking to sign quickly, and a whole lot more.

PinstripesPlus.com: What was going through your mind after being selected by the Yankees?

Stefan Lopez: Well, to be completely honest with you, I had talked with Andy Cannizaro, who's an area scout here in Louisiana. And he had called me earlier, around the 11th round. Well, before the 11th round, I think it was the end of the 10th. We were getting ready for the final pick, and he had sent me an offer that was kind of a situation to where it wasn't the offer I was looking for. Things weren't really working out for me in that situation. I had picked the range that was the ideal spot for me to go in, and I had kind of stuck with it just to keep true to myself. And once that range was passed up, after I talked to him and things weren't working out that way we were expecting it to, I really wasn't paying to much attention to the draft anymore because I figured I wouldn't be getting any reasonable offers after the 10th round, because after the 10th round you can only get so much money. So after that happened I was kind of, well, I'm not really going to get the offers that fit my criteria here. But he called me [Wednesday] morning, around 10:30, 11 o'clock, and he was like ‘Hey man, how you doing?' and I'm like, ‘Not good. I'm actually about to head out and go somewhere'. And he said, ‘You were just picked by the New York Yankees.' I mean, anytime your picked by an organization like the Yankees, as far as the honor, that's always a good situation right there. It's not that I know anybody that's said I'm disappointed I got picked by the New York Yankees. So it's definitely a good situation. So we're going to see what happens. Nothing is official yet as far as me signing, but I'm sure we're going to sit down and figure out what's going on in the next couple days.

PinstripesPlus.com: Has [Andy] given you any insight as to what the organization is like, or have you heard anything beforehand about the Yankees farm system?

Lopez: Well, I don't know really know too much inside information, to be completely honest with you, with the whole draft situation. I try explain it to a couple people, family members or friend when they ask me about it, and I was like put it this way – it's like going for your first brand new car and putting a blindfold on. I'm waiting on a phone call. I'm not sitting around waiting to sign with a jersey and a hat, with the cameras and that stuff to come on. It's not like that for me. I'm just sitting here waiting on a phone call and I can only go from there. I know from TV and everything else the Yankees organization and how professional they are. I don't know everything exactly from their side.

PinstripesPlus.com: Let's get more into what type of pitcher you are, and what you're all about. What type of pitches do you throw, and at what speeds? Give us a little scouting report if you can.

Lopez: Well, I'll try breaking it down as easy as possible. Every pitcher needs to have a fastball [laughs]. But I think I have a solid fastball. I'd say it's between 90-95 mph. Depending on what point of the season, with arm strength and everything else, I'll sit around the 92-93ish range. Some games, I'm going into games throwing 95 miles an hour. But it's going in with the right mentality, and I think I have the right mentality. Sometimes 91 can look like 95 miles an hour because I'm going out there with attitude. But, on the other hand, I do have a slider and I do have a changeup. I think my changeup is better than my slider at this point. I didn't really have a chance to throw too many offspeed pitches this year because of the coaching decisions. I'm not putting the blame on any of my coaches, but that's basically what it came down to. And I can tell you this for myself – I had as much success as I did this year in college without throwing offspeed. I had 17 saves throwing basically fastballs. If anything it can only get better.

PinstripesPlus.com: So with your fastball as your strength, how are your other pitches coming along?

Lopez: I really like my changeup. I think it really has good movement. It has more drop then side-to-side movement. To someone that's never caught me before, it's almost like a split-finger. Not that it's as fast, it's not 85 miles an hour, but it moves like a split-finger the way it drops instead of a fade. It doesn't really fade too much to the left to right. It drops more than anything. And I really like that pitch. It's a good out-pitch when you get a chance to throw it. I wish I had more opportunities to throw it in a game, and get a feel for it. When you throw 15 fastballs in a row and then try to throw a changeup, it's a harder adjustment than trying to throw a slider, as far as release point. I did have a couple games this year where I over-ridden my coach. I was like ‘Look, these guys are seeing me for the first time. It's the meat part of the lineup, and we're playing the number one team in the conference, so I need to show something different.' But I had some success with my slider. It was working good. I really want to work on a hard-type slider. I want it to be that everyday thing where I have confidence in it. I'll tell you right now I think my slider's kind of 50-50. Some days it's loopy, some days it's tight. I want it sharp. Some days it kind of hangs back, and not giving me the break I want. But I always have confidence in my changeup.

PinstripesPlus.com: If you can compare yourself to another pitcher, is there someone that comes to mind that you want to emulate?

Lopez: As for a guy that does what I do, considering I'm a closer and there are plenty of great closers, I'll throw out a name and say Brian Wilson. He has a good slider. There's other guys out there with great sliders, or better sliders. But that's just a name that comes to mind that does what I do.

PinstripesPlus.com: Growing up who were your favorite team and favorite player?

Lopez: My favorite team growing up was the St. Louis Cardinals. It's going to be obvious who my favorite team is now. I'm not saying I'm a bandwagon guy. Growing up there were guys on that team that I idolized. There were guys like, you got A-Rod, and of course Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, all those guys. But the number one pitcher that I always looked up to and wanted to be like was Nolan Ryan.

PinstripesPlus.com: What would you say your best moment in baseball was?

Lopez: I have had great ones. Some of them I can't remember, it has been a while. For example, at the time it seems like it's been a little while, but as you go on things get bigger and bigger. I think I would say my best moment is probably this year. We were in a conference tournament this year. It was a tight game during the conference championship. Before we got to the championship game to play, I was on the mound. In the 9th inning I actually got in and got out of it. And then the next inning we got into some trouble. They had runners on second and third, one out and I ended up getting out of the jam to keep us in it. The left fielder hit a walk off double to win the game. I think that was the best experience for me.

PinstripesPlus.com: Now you said that you just got drafted, how soon are you looking to sign and get your professional career started?

Lopez: Well, hopefully everything works out. I would really love to be playing for the organization. I want to get everything done as soon as possible. Regardless of what happens for me, when things move on in one direction or the other, hopefully I pray that it happens in the direction of the New York Yankees. Hopefully we can get together soon and maybe in the next couple of days.

PinstripesPlus.com: Do you think the pressure of pitching in New York if you do so will be a problem for you?

Lopez: I know people put pressure on you wearing a Yankees uniform, but I think I'm a humble enough guy. There's always going to be pressure, no matter what you do. Even this year I had 17 saves, but there's always times where you're very nervous. I'm the right guy to handle it. I know who I am, and I know where I came from. I don't plan on being the guy that gets caught up in everything. I just want to set a goal and reach it. I think I set high enough goals that will satisfy an organization like the Yankees that have high expectations every time you step on the field.

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\r\n \r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: What was going through your mind after being selected by the Yankees?\r\n\r\nStefan Lopez: Well, to be completely honest with you, I had talked with Andy Cannizaro, who's an area scout here in Louisiana. And he had called me earlier, around the 11th round. Well, before the 11th round, I think it was the end of the 10th. We were getting ready for the final pick, and he had sent me an offer that was kind of a situation to where it wasn't the offer I was looking for. Things weren't really working out for me in that situation. I had picked the range that was the ideal spot for me to go in, and I had kind of stuck with it just to keep true to myself. And once that range was passed up, after I talked to him and things weren't working out that way we were expecting it to, I really wasn't paying to much attention to the draft anymore because I figured I wouldn't be getting any reasonable offers after the 10th round, because after the 10th round you can only get so much money. So after that happened I was kind of, well, I'm not really going to get the offers that fit my criteria here. But he called me [Wednesday] morning, around 10:30, 11 o'clock, and he was like ‘Hey man, how you doing?' and I'm like, ‘Not good. I'm actually about to head out and go somewhere'. And he said, ‘You were just picked by the New York Yankees.' I mean, anytime your picked by an organization like the Yankees, as far as the honor, that's always a good situation right there. It's not that I know anybody that's said I'm disappointed I got picked by the New York Yankees. So it's definitely a good situation. So we're going to see what happens. Nothing is official yet as far as me signing, but I'm sure we're going to sit down and figure out what's going on in the next couple days.\r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: Has [Andy] given you any insight as to what the organization is like, or have you heard anything beforehand about the Yankees farm system?\r\n\r\nLopez: Well, I don't know really know too much inside information, to be completely honest with you, with the whole draft situation. I try explain it to a couple people, family members or friend when they ask me about it, and I was like put it this way – it's like going for your first brand new car and putting a blindfold on. I'm waiting on a phone call. I'm not sitting around waiting to sign with a jersey and a hat, with the cameras and that stuff to come on. It's not like that for me. I'm just sitting here waiting on a phone call and I can only go from there. I know from TV and everything else the Yankees organization and how professional they are. I don't know everything exactly from their side.\r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: Let's get more into what type of pitcher you are, and what you're all about. What type of pitches do you throw, and at what speeds? Give us a little scouting report if you can.\r\n\r\nLopez: Well, I'll try breaking it down as easy as possible. Every pitcher needs to have a fastball [laughs]. But I think I have a solid fastball. I'd say it's between 90-95 mph. Depending on what point of the season, with arm strength and everything else, I'll sit around the 92-93ish range. Some games, I'm going into games throwing 95 miles an hour. But it's going in with the right mentality, and I think I have the right mentality. Sometimes 91 can look like 95 miles an hour because I'm going out there with attitude. But, on the other hand, I do have a slider and I do have a changeup. I think my changeup is better than my slider at this point. I didn't really have a chance to throw too many offspeed pitches this year because of the coaching decisions. I'm not putting the blame on any of my coaches, but that's basically what it came down to. And I can tell you this for myself – I had as much success as I did this year in college without throwing offspeed. I had 17 saves throwing basically fastballs. If anything it can only get better. \r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: So with your fastball as your strength, how are your other pitches coming along?\r\n\r\nLopez: I really like my changeup. I think it really has good movement. It has more drop then side-to-side movement. To someone that's never caught me before, it's almost like a split-finger. Not that it's as fast, it's not 85 miles an hour, but it moves like a split-finger the way it drops instead of a fade. It doesn't really fade too much to the left to right. It drops more than anything. And I really like that pitch. It's a good out-pitch when you get a chance to throw it. I wish I had more opportunities to throw it in a game, and get a feel for it. When you throw 15 fastballs in a row and then try to throw a changeup, it's a harder adjustment than trying to throw a slider, as far as release point. I did have a couple games this year where I over-ridden my coach. I was like ‘Look, these guys are seeing me for the first time. It's the meat part of the lineup, and we're playing the number one team in the conference, so I need to show something different.' But I had some success with my slider. It was working good. I really want to work on a hard-type slider. I want it to be that everyday thing where I have confidence in it. I'll tell you right now I think my slider's kind of 50-50. Some days it's loopy, some days it's tight. I want it sharp. Some days it kind of hangs back, and not giving me the break I want. But I always have confidence in my changeup. \r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: If you can compare yourself to another pitcher, is there someone that comes to mind that you want to emulate?\r\n\r\nLopez: As for a guy that does what I do, considering I'm a closer and there are plenty of great closers, I'll throw out a name and say Brian Wilson. He has a good slider. There's other guys out there with great sliders, or better sliders. But that's just a name that comes to mind that does what I do. \r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: Growing up who were your favorite team and favorite player?\r\n\r\nLopez: My favorite team growing up was the St. Louis Cardinals. It's going to be obvious who my favorite team is now. I'm not saying I'm a bandwagon guy. Growing up there were guys on that team that I idolized. There were guys like, you got A-Rod, and of course Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, all those guys. But the number one pitcher that I always looked up to and wanted to be like was Nolan Ryan.\r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: What would you say your best moment in baseball was?\r\n\r\nLopez: I have had great ones. Some of them I can't remember, it has been a while. For example, at the time it seems like it's been a little while, but as you go on things get bigger and bigger. I think I would say my best moment is probably this year. We were in a conference tournament this year. It was a tight game during the conference championship. Before we got to the championship game to play, I was on the mound. In the 9th inning I actually got in and got out of it. And then the next inning we got into some trouble. They had runners on second and third, one out and I ended up getting out of the jam to keep us in it. The left fielder hit a walk off double to win the game. I think that was the best experience for me.\r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: Now you said that you just got drafted, how soon are you looking to sign and get your professional career started?\r\n\r\nLopez: Well, hopefully everything works out. I would really love to be playing for the organization. I want to get everything done as soon as possible. Regardless of what happens for me, when things move on in one direction or the other, hopefully I pray that it happens in the direction of the New York Yankees. Hopefully we can get together soon and maybe in the next couple of days.\r\n\r\nPinstripesPlus.com: Do you think the pressure of pitching in New York if you do so will be a problem for you?\r\n\r\nLopez: I know people put pressure on you wearing a Yankees uniform, but I think I'm a humble enough guy. There's always going to be pressure, no matter what you do. Even this year I had 17 saves, but there's always times where you're very nervous. I'm the right guy to handle it. I know who I am, and I know where I came from. I don't plan on being the guy that gets caught up in everything. I just want to set a goal and reach it. I think I set high enough goals that will satisfy an organization like the Yankees that have high expectations every time you step on the field.\r\n\r\n

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